Before You’re Sent

Future of Forestry – Gazing

Over the years while directing the orphanage ministry and also meeting many people interested in North Korea and in the justice movement, I’ve noticed some glaring flaws among many people wanting to surrender everything for the poor and the desperate. I always admire their passion, but I know if certain things about them don’t get put into right order then their ability to make a true impact will be limited. I’ve seen many such people burn out within just a year or even just a few months. Here are a few things I wish people could take to heart before giving up everything to go serve the broken (this is coming from someone who has served the orphans of Korea for over eight years now)…

1. Matthew 22:37-39 (ESV) – “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love your neighbor as yourself. I think that after learning how to love God first, we need to learn how to love ourselves… not in gluttony or sin or satisfying ourselves unhealthily… but in knowing our identity in Christ, learning to treasure our body and our soul and take care of ourselves (for more of this check the sermon I preached: “Knowing Your Needs”… https://www.comequicklyministries.org/sermons/#all/2/list). I’ve seen a lot of people try and reach out to the orphans before learning to treasure and care for their own bodies and to be honest their love wasn’t all that healthy or stable. Sadly, this is the case for a lot of people doing charitable/missionary work. Best case scenario is that people are stable in their identity before they go for good (freely you received, now freely give). Short term missions is one thing because there is time to recover and learn, but long term missions requires discipline and a deep understanding of your identity in Christ.

2. Love your neighbor as yourself. After the first step I think it’s crucial to learn to love those right next to us before going to the more “difficult cases.” Serving in the orphanages I’ve also seen a lot of people with horrible people skills (grudges, impatience, pride, bitterness, etc) instead try and just reach out to kids because kids are “more pure.” All such people eventually crash and burn. First people need to cultivate healthy relationships in God’s family before they can go. Serving orphans and widows and homeless is exhausting and there needs to be a community that can be leaned upon for every worker in those fields. Paul and Barnabas had Antioch and later also had Jerusalem supporting them. Peter and John were sent from Jerusalem. While they at times went to places that had no community, they almost always went with a group or at least with a partner. If you can’t love your neighbor yet (the Christians right next to you), then how can you be expected to love those who are so much more broken and needy? Get good at loving your neighbors and God will entrust you with more and more.

3. Last, develop good financial habits, specifically tithing and saving. I get upset sometimes by people who just “give it all away” and live with a poverty spirit. They are a poor example to people of the loving provision of God (another sermon to listen to: “God Wants to Satisfy You”). The Gospel isn’t giving everything away to be poor and homeless with the other poor and homeless. What hope is that? Now we have to mooch off of non-believers or “weaker believers” who haven’t given it all away yet? What a horrible witness! The Gospel is giving everything away in your heart to follow and rely on God fully and completely. Tithing is the basic start to that. Then comes offerings led by the Holy Spirit. God may at some point call you to lay everything down (I did in coming to Korea to live in the orphanage), but even then there must be trust that God will provide AND prosper you. I came to Korea with nothing but two bags and some support money to live in an orphanage for three years. Now I have an apartment, a car, a wife, multiple ministries, etc. If I gave away my car, then how could I drive the orphans to the camps and get necessary materials for the ministry? If I gave away my apartment, then where could my kids visit or people in need stay? Where could my family grow? If God calls me to do those things, then I know He will provide in another way. But for me to consistently forsake His provision apart from His leading would demonstrate that I’m more of an orphan than a true son of God. Tithe, thanking God for His provision and trusting in Him. Give offerings as led by His Spirit, supporting God’s workers and knowing everything you have is a gift from God and rightfully belongs to Him. Save, knowing that you have a lifetime ahead of you to serve God and He wants you to be a blessing to your generation and the generations after.

In the end, trust that God is the author and perfecter of everyone’s faith. God isn’t in a rush to send us out. Obedience is better than sacrifice (1Samuel 15:22)! Learning to obey is far more important than the going out. When Aaron was consecrated as high priest he had to stand there as Moses did all the washing, sacrificing, anointing, and clothing for him (Leviticus 8). Then Aaron was told to just chill in the tent of meeting for seven days before he could do anything. He had to learn rest, first! The apostle Paul needed a chunk of time in Arabia before he was ready to minister. Even the disciples of Jesus who were with Him for three years had to tarry in the upper room and wait for the Holy Spirit… three years with Jesus wasn’t enough for them! Jesus wasn’t yelling at them to go but rather to wait. The “Go!” will definitely come, but I think those three points above are healthy areas to work on before a person should expect to be sent.